Delia Crowngarde
Background A Child Conflicted Throughout her childhood, as she grew older and more mature, Delia was increasingly conflicted. As a young girl, despite being raised and taught by the Church and nudged in the ways of the Light, she never showed any ability in its use. She couldn't channel it, couldn't use it, nothing. Coming from a family of renowned, devout paladins, this obviously troubled her deeply. As early as age eight she felt like an outcast, even though all those who mentored her treated her with kindness, she childishly exiled herself from most social contact with the other kids. Delia often got into fights in her youth, with her father, mother, and uncle off fighting in the Northrend War, there was nobody to control her. She even distanced herself from her older brother Tarathar, his ability with the Light only straining the two's relationship. Teenage Years Things were only getting worse as she came into her teens, her mentors in the Church struggling to keep her rebellious attitude under control, but salvation came for her in the form of her father's return. She expected disappointment at her failure to use the light, but Alcarious comforted the troubled child. Reinforcing that one did not need the Light to do good, Alcarious personally trained Delia in martial combat, helping release her hectic energy and soothing her shame. As Delia grew older, she continued her training as a warrior and managed to overcome her past burden, at peace with herself. Knighthood and Derek Valonforth Squiring to her father alongside Tarathar, Delia would fight against the forces of Derek Valonforth at their side and earn her Knighthood along with her brother. Serving in an official capacity for the Argent Crusade, she and her brother served in their Mother's squad for a short time before they would both join the Alliance Military. Mists of Pandaria Joining the Conflict Delia was immediately uncomfortable as she arrived in The Jade Forest. Not because of the strange land, nor the coming conflict, but because of similarities she couldn't help but notice. Like her father before her, she had joined the Military alongside her brother and came to the conflict, but like Valcor, Tarathar was split up from Delia and sent to the Krasarang Wilds. She was immediately struck by the similarities, praying that they would both come out of the conflict alive and pure. Kun-Lai Summit Delia ended up fighting in the Kun-Lai Summit with a small squad of Alliance soldiers, herself the second in command. It was here she experienced the Sha corruption for the second time, watching most of her squad fall to its influence and unable to save them. Fight as she did, the Sha were a powerful influence on human emotion and the Sha of Doubt found her weakness. Drawing up her old doubts that were long settled, the unnatural influence of the Sha brought them to light as she suddenly found herself corrupted. From The Precipice Though they too were under Sha influence, Delia had killed the members of her squad. Her martial ability had surpassed them and, in her sea of rage and doubt that was not her own, she had slain them. However, just as she stood on the edge of her own fall, her brother had saved her. As more Alliance came to the Summit, Tarathar had managed to find his sister through his own investigating, and with the Light he managed to purify the Sha's influence from her mind. Stricken with grief at what she had done, she begrudgingly doubled down and was determined to win this conflict. The Siege of Orgrimmar Delia and Tarathar both took a minor part in the Siege, but neither of them delved into the city itself. Instead, the two had been part of a scouting effort to understand just what they were dealing with, in a joint operation with Horde soldiers. To their dismay and disappointment, this was the last of their participation in the conflict, being called back to Stormwind. Warlords of Draenor The Scarlet Renegades Having returned to the Argent Crusade rather than join the Alliance conflict, Delia was granted her first independent assignment by her father. Accompanied by two squires, Matthew and Henry, Delia was instructed to investigate the rumors and reports of Scarlet resurgence. The three travelled into the Tirisfal Glades, careful to stay far under the radar. What they found was far more than the small rumors and reports had suggested, however. Not only had the Scarlet Crusade marshalled a force together with the intention to retake the Cathedral, but a new faction of Scarlet Crusaders known as the Renegades. Joseph the Insane In a fight with the Scarlet Crusade, both of her squires had been killed and she herself badly wounded, but having survived the battle and tended her wounds, the gravely injured Delia pulled a desperate stunt. She went to the Renegades for help, unaware of their proclivity towards the Alliance. She met their leader, Joseph the Insane, who lived up to his name through his incessant self-ramblings and unhinged behavior, but they had healed her all the same. Promising to aid them in their conflict, Delia would remain in the Glades for some time. The Battle of the Scarlet Cathedral The Scarlet Cathedral was being held by Forsaken soldiers, enemies of both the Alliance and the Scarlet Renegades, so Delia pledged her sword to the Renegades attack of the Cathedral. Unsurprisingly, fate dictated that it was the same day the Scarlet Crusaders would launch their own assault, leaving the battle to be a vicious, day-long fight between the three forces. Emerging from the other side bloody and exhausted, Delia found that they had bested the Crusaders, only to be pushed back by the Forsaken, who of course took advantage of the Renegades' weariness. Though she prepared to join the conflict once more, she found herself being called back to the Plaguelands through missive from her father. Incensed that she had failed to see her mission through, she begrudgingly returned to the Plaguelands and returned to service at the Five Towers. Modern Delia met the Valonforth family alongside her brother and father, greatly interested in their story and fascinated to finally meet those she had heard so much about from her father. She, like her father, is troubled by the fact that her uncle Valcor is out in Azeroth likely plotting against them, readying for the eventual fight that was sure to come.